Page 54 of All Your Tomorrows

Mr. Fletcher’s hand shot out and he seized her wrist. “Sit down, honey. She came to talk to us and we’re going to let her talk.”

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Fletcher begrudgingly sat back down, though her arms were crossed as she glared across the room at me.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Mr. Fletcher explained.

“I understand. I would never lie about something like this. It’s my job to bring messages to families, and I take that job very seriously,” I explained.

“You said Kyler visited you?” he asked.

“He’s here right now,” I said.

“Ohmigod. That’s it!” Mrs. Fletcher jumped to her feet again.

“Tell her I broke the window when I was seven and we kept it from my dad,” Kyler said.

“He broke a window when he was seven and you kept it from Mr. Fletcher,” I repeated.

She stilled.

“And tell her she used to call me her beautiful little boy even when I was in high school,” Kyler said.

“You used to call him your beautiful little boy even when he was in high school,” I said.

Her eyes glazed with tears.

“He’s sitting right next to me,” I explained. “He’s been with me for a while now because he can’t seem to go anywhere without me to assist him.”

“Tell him to wake up,” Mrs. Fletcher cried.

“He wants to,” I explained. “He just doesn’t know how to.”

She lowered herself back down on the sofa. “Where is he?”

I looked to my right. “Right here. He’s in a black hoodie and jeans.”

“He was wearing that the night of the accident,” Mr. Fletcher said.

“I want to feel him,” Mrs. Fletcher said.

Kyler stood and walked in front of her, squatting to his haunches and touching her hands.

“He’s touching your hands right now,” I explained.

“I can’t feel him,” she said, tears trailing down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I wish you could.”

He removed his hands from hers and touched his dad’s hands.

“He’s touching your hands right now, Mr. Fletcher,” I explained.

He stared down at his hands but it was clear he couldn’t feel Kyler either.

“Tell them I love them,” Kyler said, standing up and moving back to the loveseat beside me.

“He loves you both very much,” I explained.

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